Impact of Montmorillonite and Calcite on Release and Adsorption of Cyanobacterial Fatty Acids at Ambient Temperature

Abstract

Minerals might act as important sorbents of sedimentary organic matter and reduce biodegradation, which favors the formation of hydrocarbon source rocks in the earth's history. Since most organic matter is degraded during the sinking process, at ambient temperature, it is important to investigate the adsorption capacity of different minerals during this process, to assess the organic loss from primary productivity to sedimentary organic matter. In this study, montmorillonite and calcite have been selected to study the impact of different minerals on the release, adsorption, and deposition of cyanobacterial (Synechococcus elonpata) fatty acids (FAs) at ambient temperature. Gas chromatography (GC), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) have been utilized to detect the variation in fatty acids. Primary results suggest that minerals have a different impact on dissolved organic matter. Montmorillonite can specifically enhance the release of fatty acids from cyanobacterial cells by lowering the pH values of the solution. The adsorption of the dissolved organic matter by montmorillonite will also be enhanced under a lower pH value. Conjunction of fatty acids with montmorillonite to form a complex will favor the sinking and preservation of these organics. Selective adsorption is observed among fatty acids with different carbon numbers. In contrast, calcite does not show any impact on the release and adsorption of organic matter even though it is reportedly capable of acting as a catalyst during the transformation of organic matter at high temperature. The primary data bridge a link between primary productivity and sedimentary organic matter, suggesting the relative importance of claystones in the formation of hydrocarbon source rocks in the earth's history.